"Great care from SDMU, but concerns about care on ward C"

I was seen by an out of hours GP very quickly and very efficiently last week and was admitted to SDMU. I'm only 19 and away from home, they made me feel very very comfortable. All of the nurses I was in contact with during the 3 night stay were absolutely lovely. Clean wards, polite porters (one even took the time out to come and visit me as he knew my family couldn't make it). Top notch care, I absolutely couldn't fault it.

Unfortunately, I was moved to ward C. I have worked in care before and the standards were appalling. A man with MRSA and dementia was left to wander up and down the wards. I was in a lot of pain and for four hours my bell for pain relief was ignored. They forgot to feed me on one occasion and I had to prompt them to be allowed dinner. Cleaners were minimum effort to say the very least. The only positive thing I can say about that ward is that the doctors were extremely efficient. After my operation, I was very confused from the anaesthetic and I pressed my bell to ask for the toilet. A nurse came and switched my bell off and left. I rang again and the same happened. 3 hours after surgery I took myself to the toilet.

That same night, a patient next to me had rang her bell and proceeded to vomit, I shouted for help and walked in great pain to the nurses station, who said they would be there in a minute. Ten minutes later, they finally arrived and seemed to lack any compassion for the patient. I also asked a nurse if she would help me shower as I couldn't reach parts of my body without being comfortable. She said to ring once I was in there and unclothed (a job I struggled with!), I rang the bell, and nobody came to help! I attempted to shower myself the best I could, with great difficulty, before walking myself back to my bed. The care on this ward was absolutely appalling on every single level. The genuine lack of care is disgusting. On my first night, a nurse was shouting openly on the wards about how she doesn't get paid enough, moaning about menial tasks. I asked to have my medicine topped up and she reacted as if I'd asked her to chop off her legs and lend them to me for a week. Disgusting. I'm absolutely glad to be home.